The present invention relates generally to cooling systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to cooling systems for regulating the temperature of electronic components. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful for a cooling system for regulating the temperature of electronic components of a desktop computer.
During normal operation, most electronic devices generate significant amounts of heat. If this heat is not continuously removed, the electronic device may overheat, resulting in damage to the device and/or a reduction in operating performance.
In order to avoid such problems caused by overheating, cooling devices are often used in conjunction with electronic devices.
One such cooling device used in conjunction with electronic devices is a heatsink. In such device, a heatsink is formed from a material, which readily conducts heat. The heatsink is usually placed on top of, and in physical contact with, the electronic device.
One method of increasing the cooling capacity of these heatsinks is by including a plurality of cooling fins that are physically connected to the heatsink. These fins serve to increase the surface area of the heatsink and, thus, maximize the transfer of heat from the heatsink to the ambient air. In this manner, the heatsink draws heat away from the electronic device and transfers the heat to the ambient air.
In order to further enhance the cooling capacity of a heatsink device, an electrically powered blower (an axial fan may serve as the blower) is often mounted within or on top of the heatsink. In operation, the blower forces air to pass over the fins of the heatsink, thus, cooling the fins by enhancing the heat transfer from the fins into the ambient air. As the fins are cooled, heat can be drawn from the electronic device and into the heatsink at a faster rate. The blower typically draws air into the heatsink from the top of the heatsink, passes the air over the fins, and exhausts the air from the heatsink in the vicinity of the bottom of the heatsink. Accordingly, the exhaust air is hotter than the intake air.
There are known devices of this type—see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,214 “Cooling device and method”. The design of the device comprises an axial fan that produces a flow passing by heat exchanging channels of the heatsink. However, due to the weak airflow in the area adjacent to the axial fan axle, the conditions for cooling of the central part of the heatsink located underneath a hub of the axial fan are unfavorable. In this case non-uniform cooling of the heatsink and electronic device, for example, processor, will take place. Besides, the energy of airflow outgoing from the axial fan impeller in the axial direction is expended because of deceleration and turn in motion before this airflow enters to the heat exchanging channels. This fact decreases the speed of airflow passing by the heat exchanging channels, which, in its turn, doesn't allow obtaining good conditions for the heat exchange process.
Centrifugal fans are used rarely in the cooling device designs for the purpose of producing airflow.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,066 “Miniaturized cooling fan type heatsink for a semiconductor device” offers a design employing a centrifugal fan that is installed to the side of the heatsink. In one particular embodiment of this invention the cooling airflow passes by rectilinear heat exchanging channels of the heatsink.
However, placement of centrifugal blower to the side of the heatsink increases device size. In addition, the location of centrifugal blower leads to insufficient coordination between the direction of channel inlets and direction of airflow supplied from the blower. Due to mentioned circumstance hydraulic losses result a reduction of airflow inside heat exchanging channels and decline heat exchange efficiency. A portion of airflow energy is also expended on friction against the casing, in which the blower is enclosed.
It is the object of the current invention to create such cooler for electronic components that would combine a heatsink and a centrifugal blower that would be capable of significantly improving the thermal efficiency compared to any of the prior art.